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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. race — humankind
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. race — a contest
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mark — a grade
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com